LAWRENCEVILLE -- Gwinnett's unemployment rate fell again in April, with preliminary numbers released Thursday by the Department of Labor showing a decrease in the county for a third consecutive month.

The county- and city-level statistics released Thursday showed Gwinnett's unemployment at 8.7 percent last month, a full percentage point lower than that of the metro Atlanta area as a whole.

It marked a decrease of two-tenths of a percentage point over revised March statistics, and was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the January spike that showed Gwinnett unemployment at 9.3 percent.

In April 2010, Gwinnett unemployment was 8.8 percent.

In Lawrenceville and Duluth, the lone Gwinnett County cities listed on the Department of Labor's website, April unemployment was 12.6 and 9.0 percent, respectively.

In metro Atlanta as a whole, the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in April, down one-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 9.8 percent in March.

The rate for metro Atlanta decreased because there were 16,400 new jobs added in April, mostly in leisure and hospitality and professional and business services, State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said.

Of 159 Georgia counties, 51 had April unemployment rates under 9.6 percent, including Gwinnett.